The present invention relates to commercial and retail sales and service centers, and in particular to a pharmacy work center.
One would expect any business person to agree that there is always a need to reduce costs and increase productivity. For a retail pharmacy, this cry is especially true. Based on recent statistics from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, it is expected that prescription requests will increase by upwards of 50% within the next five years, while pharmacists will only increase by approximately 6% during this same time frame. There will be an increase of approximately 40% in the number of prescriptions per day, with a pharmacist having to fill a third more prescription than now required. To meet such anticipated demand, there is certainly a need to improve productivity in pharmacy operations through improvements in equipment and in the efficiency of working methods. There is further a need to ensure that a customer sees the store as professional, responsive to customer needs, and convenient to use.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce cost while increasing productivity in pharmacy operations. It is further an object to provide efficient handling of prescription filling and related processing.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention are provided by a method of filling a prescription, which method comprises entering prescription and customer information data into a computer using a keyboard, and printing material responsive to the information data input into the computer, wherein the printed material includes prescription preparation instructions and customer information, as well as labels. The written prescription and printed material are placed the filling area, the printed material is compared to the written prescription by a filling technician, who places the printed material and the written prescription into the basket if matching information is identified. An appropriate drug is then retrieved from a storage area. A vial is retrieved from a gravity fed dispensing bin, and filled with the drug. A cap is also retrieved from the gravity fed bin and secured to the vial. A label is then placed on the vial, which label was printed and provided with the printed material. The filled vial, an original container from which the drug was stored, and related paperwork are then placed back in the basket and moved downstream along the counter for checking. A pharmacist then compares the paper prescription to the original container from which the drugs came, compares the prescription to the drug in the vial, and checks the label on the vial. The vial is placed in a bag which is then secured shut. The bag, now a finished prescription package bag, is optionally placed in a mobile cart, and remaining paper prescription material is stored in a file area located on the counter. The now empty basket is then moved downstream for reuse.
Embodiments of the workstation include a staging area which uses a basket to contain a written prescription provided by a customer, and printed material provided by a computer printer in response to data input by a drop-off technician through keyboard data entry while viewing a recessed monitor and having access to a telephone for confirmation of data as desired. A filling area is located on a counter downstream the staging area, which filling area includes gravity fed bins holding vials and lids. Once the vials are filled with an appropriate drug, in pill form by way of example, the basket containing the filled vial, written prescription and printed material are moved further downstream to a checking area on the counter. The flow from the staging area through the filling area to the checking area may include a conveyor. Once the prescription is checked and found acceptable by a pharmacist, a sealed bag including the labeled vial is moved to a holding area, while prescription information is stored within the workstation on shelving and storage compartments. A refrigerator is provided for drug store as needed. In addition, additional shelving is provided for frequently used drugs which are pre-packaged prior to filling a prescription.